TWTW: Four Races in Five Days
With Intelligentsia Cup looming on the horizon this was the week that we finally put all of my blathering about the action packed New York City race calendar to the test by stringing together four races across five hot days in New York and New Jersey. The result was a perhaps predictable set of mediocre results thanks to tired legs and challenging competition but it made for a pretty terrific week that was all the same.
The Week That Was (TWTW)
The week kicked off in a pleasant and casual fashion with a Tuesday morning stroll across the GWB to the promise land that is River Road along with some friends from the CRCA community (hashtag United Colors of CRCA). Our Cycle-Smart training plan featured a sprint workout but with temperatures racing above 90 as the morning went on and approximately 200% humidity we scraped those ambitions in favor of a moderate pace and plenty of post-rice iced coffee to rehydrate. It was far from the most structured morning of training but a pretty terrific way to start a busy week of racing.
From that relaxed start the week immediately got spicier with an intensely competitive day of racing on Wednesday at the Dash for Cash at Floyd Bennett Field. Despite plenty of attempted dashing we didn't walk away with much in the way of cash. But a post-race spin to the beach (and a few ice cold beers) quickly soothed any disappointment. We rushed out a journal entry last week so head over to Dashing for Cash on the 4th of July for the full recap and photo gallery from our Wednesday in Brooklyn.
Less than 24 hours later we headed the opposite direction out of New York City for the first race of series two at the Rockleigh Criterium. It was another warm night of racing and with the complete Jamison-Cannondale squad in attendance the pace was more than uncomfortable for my tired post Dash for Cash legs. Corey flew the TBD colors proudly and was off the front in more than one break while I hung on through the final laps out of sheer will power, coming across the line dead last amongst the finishers. There was plenty of post-race controversy as two Jamison riders apparently soloed to the finish together but were disqualified for violating the number one rule of Rockleigh - don't take your hands off your bars to celebrate. We stayed away from the shouting that resulted, favoring a bit of rehydration before racing the setting sun back to Manhattan (Rockleigh Crit Results).
After a brief rest day on Friday it was back to the race grind with a very early morning in for the CRCA Club Series in Central Park. As a Power Points race with two sprints per lap it was always going to be a tough day of racing on fatigued legs but it turned out to be even more challenging than expected thanks to Foundation making up more than 20% of the field. To their credit they raced aggressively - covering every break and gobbling up enough sprint points to sweep the podium. Meanwhile in the Women's field our friends at CityMD Women's Racing enjoyed plenty of success by taking home two spots on the final podium. As always the post-race coffee stop was a highlight, including getting all three generations of the TBD A1's together (CRCA Club Series Results)
While some of the squad was in action on Saturday in Central Park another crew was racing the Giro del Cielo Stage Race in New Jersey. The opening road race on Saturday was successful with a pair of top tens but Sunday's racing action won't soon be forgotten as the team went #1, #2, and #4 in the TT and followed it up with a third place finish for Colin in the criterium. That criterium finish was sufficient to give him the well deserved GC win. The team also topped the team GC competition with Erwin third and Ted sixth. Overall it was an immensely successful weekend of racing and the team's second consecutive GC win at the Giro del Cielo. We'll have more from the race - including a more comprehensive photo gallery from the criterium - soon.
The Week That Was On the TBD Journal
TBD Race Calendar: July 2018 (Jul 6, 2018) - a look at the upcoming tri-state race calendar with the notable addition of Intelligentsia Cup way off in the Windy City
Dashing for Cash on the 4th of July (Jul 5, 2018) - one of our favorite days of racing, even if the post-race beach trip can sometimes be more enjoyable than the actual racing
Racing in Central Park: Mengoni Grand Prix 2018 (Jul 3, 2018) - the Central Park Open Racing calendar comes to a close with a successful day for the TBD squad
TWTW: How Hot Is Too Hot For Bikes (Jul 2, 2018) - surviving NYC bike racing in the middle of an unpleasant heat wave
Normally we wrap up TWTW with some reading suggestions and a 'Parting Shot' of some form but I am behind on some CRCA Board related obligations so an abbreviated TWTW will have to suffice until next week....
A New York City based cyclist and sometimes photographer. Part adventure rider, part crit racer, and fully obsessed with an English bulldog named Winifred.
Instagram: @photorhetoric
E-mail: matthew@tobedetermined.cc
